Washing machine



Nov. 22, 1932. H. QUACKENBUSH 1,888,435

WASHING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1932 I ly washed without any'beating,

Patented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EIBAM L. QUACKENBUSH, MONROE, MI ICHIGAN WASHING MACHINE Application med March 25, 1932. Serial No. 801,217. 1

This invention relates to clothes washing machines, and has for its object the provision of a machine of this character having certain novel features of construction, whereby clothes and articles of the most delicate material, such for instance, as fine silks, linens and laces may be easily, quickly andefii'ectiverubbin action, the cleansing ing efiected solely y forcing the cleaning and rinsing liquids through the articles.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and one embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figurel is a central vertical section of 2.

art of a washing machine embodying the mvention, with parts in full, andFig. 2 is a section on the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the body member of a'washing machine embodying the invention, which body may be supported or mounted in any suitable manner (not shown), as the mounting means forms no part of the invention.

The body 1 forms a cylinder2 in which a clothes-receiving container 3 is reciprocally movable in the manner of a plunger. The body 1 also forms, in its top, a liquld-receiving chamber 4 into which the top of the cylinder 2 opens. The top of the chamber 4 1s closed by a removable cover 5, and a trough 6 is preferably provided around the lower edge portion of said chamber by extending the upper end wall of the cylinder 2 a distance up into the chamber, which for this purpose is of greater diameter than the cylinder.

The trough 6 at intervals therearound is in communication with the lower end of the cylinder 2 through passages 7, two being shown in the present instance, which extend from the bottom of the trough 6 down at the outer sides of the cylinder 2 and into the receiving chamber designated 8 at the lower end of the cylinder 2. The passages? are provided with check-valves 9 located in the present instance. within the chamber 8 and adapted to close under pressure in sald chamber and to open under suction action therein. It is thus apparent that when the twisting or clothes-container 3 is moved downwardl a pressure is created in the chamber 8 to e ect a closing of said valves, and when the constructionto permit the passage of liquid therethrough while at the same time retaining in the container the articles being washed.

The top 13 is removable to permit the insertion of articles into the container and their removal therefrom, and is provided with any suitable means for preventing opening of the top under internal pressure. Such means, in the present instance, comprises latch members 14 on the cover engaging catch members 15 secured to the side walls of the container. In the use of my washin machine, the clothes or other articles to e washed are placed in the container 3, after'which the tog 13 of the container is secured in position an the cover 5 placed in position on the top of the chamber 4:. It will be understood, of

course, that the washing or cleansing liquid may be placed in the machine either before or after the clothes have been placed in the container, a suflicient amount being used to reach a level substantially half we up in the cylinder. It will be understoo however, that the quantity of the liquid used may be varied to suit the conditions. The operating parts of the machine, which effect a reciprocation of the container 3, are then operated,and upon each down stroke of the container, a substantial portion of the liquid in the bottom of the cylinder 2 is forced up through the container and articles therein into the upper compartment 4, due to the valves 9 closing the by-passages 7 during this movement of the container. Upon each up stroke of the container, the

valves 9 are opened by inward pressure and the liquid in the u per compartment 4 is permitted to flow bac into the lower portion of the cylinder, A portion of the liquid in the com artment 4 W111 also return to the bottom of t e c. linder through the container and clothes. is return action of the liquidthrough the clothes is not as forceful, however, as the upward movement of the liquid through the container during a down stroke thereof, inasmuchas in the latter case all of the liquid in the bottom of the cylinder, which is disposed by the container 3, is caused to pass through the container and the articles therein due to the closing of the valves 9. Aft- 'er the articles being washed have been thoroughly cleaned, the cleansing liquid may be removed and a rinsin 'liquid placed in the machine, and a thoroug rinsing of the clothes in the same manner as the washing action.

It is apparent with this machine, that all pounding, rubbing and twisting of the clothes, or other articles being washed and rinsed, which customaril takes place in the washing and rinsing of c othes, iseliminated, and that the only pressure brought to bear on the clothes is the ressure of the liquid in its passage through t 1e container. This enables the most delicate of articles to be washed without tearing or distorting the texture thereof. I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any s ecific construction, ar-

rangement or form 0 the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention,'what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a washing machine, means forming a vertically disposed cylinder with liquidreceiving compartments at the top and bottom thereof and with communicatin passages therebetween without the cy inder,

passages between said troughand the lower compartment, check-valves associated withv check-valve means in connect-ion with said passages and opening inwardly relative to the bottom compartment, the upper compartment having a trough in its bottom surrounding the upper end of the cylinder and from which said passages lead, and a clothescontainer of the plunger-type reciprocally movable in said cylinder and having for-aminous bottom and top members through which the li uid in the bottom compartment is require to pass to the upper compartment upon a down stroke of the container.

2. In a washing machine, means forming a vertically disposed cylinder and com artments at the upper and lower ends 0 the cylinder, both open to the cylinder and the upper compartment being of greater diameter than t e cylinder and havin a trough formed around its outer lower edge by extension of the cylinder wall into said up er compartment, there being communicating the III 

